The musical connections between Cuba and West Africa take centre stage at Wales Millennium Centre in this spectacular double bill featuring Buena Vista All Stars and Senegal’s legendary Orchestra Baobab.
Presented as part of Llais 2026, the concert brings together two internationally celebrated ensembles whose music reflects centuries of cultural exchange between Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Buena Vista All Stars features some of Cuba’s finest musicians, including artists associated with the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club tradition. Their performances combine traditional Cuban rhythms with African and Spanish influences, preserving the warmth and elegance of classic Cuban music while presenting it as a living and continually developing art form.
Through masterful musicianship, infectious rhythm and richly expressive performance, the ensemble celebrates the musical heritage of Cuba and the many cultures that have contributed to its distinctive sound.
Sharing the bill is Orchestra Baobab, one of Africa’s most influential and enduring bands. Founded in Dakar in 1970, the group became a cornerstone of Senegalese popular music through its unique fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythm with Wolof, Mandinka and Serer musical traditions.
The band’s story began during a period when Cuban music was enormously popular across West Africa. Orchestra Baobab took those influences and combined them with Senegalese languages, melodies, guitar styles and storytelling traditions, creating an elegant sound that was simultaneously local and international.
Across more than five decades, the group has continued to reinvent its music while remaining connected to its roots. Its graceful vocals, hypnotic guitar lines, warm percussion and unhurried rhythms have attracted audiences around the world.
Bringing Buena Vista All Stars and Orchestra Baobab together on the same evening highlights the musical conversation that has long existed across the Atlantic. African rhythms helped shape Cuban music, while Cuban recordings later travelled back across the ocean and inspired new sounds in Senegal and other parts of West Africa.
Taking place during Black History Month 2026, this concert celebrates that continuing exchange and the ability of music to connect cultures, histories and generations.
Children under two are not admitted, and those under 16 must be seated with an adult aged 18 or over. The event may include loud music, flashing or strobe lighting and smoke or haze effects.
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